Have you ever heard of Expedia loyalty program, Expedia Rewards?

We will explain what this program is all about, and if it’s worth joining.

We will show you how to achieve the different levels including the benefits, and what you can do with earned Expedia Reward points.

 

Before we will tell you about Expedia Rewards, here’s what you need to know.

 

Will you still earn airline miles or hotel points?

• YES, you will still earn airline miles and status points at the different airline programs when you book flights via Expedia. It makes no difference if you book directly via the airline or via Expedia. This is interesting because Expedia is sometimes offering cheap vacation packages, where you can book your flight and your hotel for a better price all together.
• However, you will not earn hotel points or elite night credits if you book through Expedia for hotel loyalty schemes. Most chains will also not respect your elite benefits.

 

Expedia Rewards has three different tier levels: Blue, Silver and Gold.

 

Blue member

How to achieve: Benefits as soon as you join Expedia Rewards.

Benefits: Save an extra 10% or more on selected hotels with member prices, earn points and benefit from Expedia Hotel Price Guarantee.

Silver member

How to achieve: Stay 7 hotel nights or spend $5,000 between January 1 and December 31 of any given year.

Benefits: Free breakfast and spa credits at VIP Access hotels and 10% more points when you book. Plus all the benefits of Blue.

 

Overview

 

How long is your elite status valid?

Once earned a status it is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which you qualified, the next full calendar year, and through February 28 of the following year.

 

Do Expedia Reward Points expire?

Expedia Rewards points will not expire as long as there is a qualifying purchase or redemption activity through Expedia on your account at least once every eighteen (18) months.

 

How much Expedia Reward points do you earn?

What can you do with your Expedia Reward points?

Points cannot be redeemed for cash and have no cash value. Pending Expedia Rewards points cannot be used towards a reward redemption. No cash value doesn’t mean that they are worthless. You will earn points and you can exchange them on Expedia with your next booking to drop the price. So the more Expedia Rewards you have the lower the price becomes with your next booking when you use your points.

We will focus on redeeming your points for flights, hotel bookings and vacation packages.

Hotel redemption:

Members can redeem available Expedia Rewards points to partially pay or pay in full an Expedia Rate hotel. Points can be redeemed for VIP Access hotels at double the value of non-VIP Access hotels. Points can only be redeemed where payment is being made to Expedia at the time of booking…

Vacation package redemption:

Account holders can redeem available Expedia Rewards points for Expedia coupons in various increments (“Reward coupon”) that can be applied to the cost of a Flight + Hotel vacation package that includes an Expedia Rate hotel. When you redeem Expedia Rewards points for a Reward coupon in your selected amount, you will be issued a Reward coupon code…

Flight redemption:

In order to book a flight using points, the Expedia Rewards account holder must have enough points available to cover the entire cost of the flight being booked, including taxes and fees. If members do not see the ability to apply their Expedia Rewards points on the checkout page, this is an indicator that they do not have enough points to cover the entire flight cost, and are therefore ineligible to use their points on that booking…

Terms and conditions for redemptions do apply, they can be found here.

 

Is it worth joining Expedia Rewards?

It is obviously more rewarding than no loyalty scheme at all, so you should as well take the points if you are making a booking through Expedia.

The most attractive part of the scheme are the hotel benefits, however these are only valid at a selection of hotels branded +VIP. Earning and redemptions can also be of a good value, especially for vacation packages.

Expedia vacation packages are often of a good value, and you will get 2 points for every $/€/£ 1 spent which is a good bonus.

When booking flights only, you won’t get much Expedia Reward points. If the price is the same or lower than with the airline itself or other OTA’s, we would book via Expedia.

Why would you pay 1000€ for a ticket with the airline to collect miles only when you could book the same ticket with Expedia for the same price or lower and collect miles AND Expedia Reward points?

However, if the price is higher, we wouldn’t book with Expedia as you will only get 1 point for every $/€/£ 5 on flights.

Is Expedia Rewards worth joining? 

Yes, it is for free and it never hurts to collect additional points at a loyalty program.

However, as we always say with no matter what program, before booking a Hotel, a Flight or a Flight+Hotel package, don’t forget to compare prices with other sources.